Santa Catarina is the state with the lowest rate of hunger in Brazil. Figures from the Brazilian Research Network on Sovereignty and Food Security (Penssan) released this Wednesday (14) show that 4.6% of Santa Catarina’s residents suffer from severe food insecurity. This is the lowest among the states and the Federal District.

The study found that even with the lowest infection rate in the country, 300,000 people are starving. Photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil/North Dakota.

According to Brazil’s 2nd National Study of Food Insecurity in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic (Vigisan), Alagoas is the state with the highest incidence of severe food insecurity, reaching 36.7% of families surveyed.

The proportion of hungry people in Santa Catarina is well below the national average of 15.5%. Despite this, 338,000 people live in Santa Catarina in severe famine.

The study breaks down food security into three levels:

• Mild: when the fear of lack of food causes the family to limit the quality of food;
• Moderate: without food quality, not enough for everyone;
• Severe: when no one gets enough food and goes hungry.

Santa Catarina has an index of 7.6% in terms of food insecurity at a moderate level and 28.5% at a mild level. In absolute terms, these levels add up to 896,000 people in the UK who are undernourished.

Given the total population of each macro-region, the largest share of the hungry are residents of the northern and northeastern regions of the country.

“The results reflect regional disparities and show significant differences between states in each macro-region of the country,” said Renato Malouf, Penssan Network coordinator responsible for the study by the Vox Populi Institute.

2nd highest food security index in the country

According to a survey that assessed 506 households in Santa Catarina between November 2021 and April 2022, the state ranks second in the food security index (59.4%) in the country, with 4.3 million people having full and stable access to food. proper quality and quantity.

Santa Catarina is second only to Espiritu Santo (61%). National data show that 41.3% of the Brazilian population is food insecure.

Paraná appears in the south with 46.5% and Rio Grande do Sul with 52.4% of total access to food.